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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2251 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 5, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Jump in the discussion.

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How does it broadcast its request if it doesn't have an IP address?

Because network communication doesn't always require an IP. Think of the network as different technologies arranged in a stack, each building on the last. Specifically, the stack generally looks like:

Ethernet

IP

TCP/UDP

Other protocols on top that (e.g. HTTP)

For DHCP, your machine broadcasts at the Ethernet level which works based on the MAC addresses baked into every network interface. It receives a reply in the same way. And even once you have an IP address, those IP packets will be riding on top of Ethernet frames which are sent out to the local network in much the same way as DHCP traffic is.

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The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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